Life's a Beach House
by LoveIsAlwaysLouder
Summary: Caroline is stuck spending the summer with her father at the beach in North Carolina. Ready for an adventure she begins a summer romance with the mysterious boy from a few houses down.
1. Hello Neighbor

**I know i have no business starting a new story. Seeing as i have three other stories on the go and none of them are close to finished but this chapter is in my head and i need to get it out!**

Life's a beach house chapter 1: Hello Neighbour

Caroline had thought that summer's in Virginia were hot, but they were nothing compared to the blazing heat of South Carolina. She hadn't even stepped outside yet, but judging by the number on her dashboard and the heat she could see rising off the pavement outside it was sure to be a scorcher.

She had been driving for almost five hours from her home with her mother in Virginia to her father's beach house on the southern most tip of the carolina coastline. Her family used to spend every summer at the old beach house that had been in her dad's family for generations, all together playing in the sand and walking along the boardwalk,but Caroline hadn't been there for years. After her parents had divorced her father had moved into the beach house permanently while her mother Liz kept their rancher in the sleepy town of Mystic Falls.

Caroline was just entering the ninth grade at the time of her parents divorce, and therefore remained in Mystic falls with her mother so she could continue to go to her same high school. She saw her father every few months or so when he drove thru town on his way to business near by. But he never invited her to visit him at the beach and for a long time Caroline had never known why. Her answer had come earlier that year when her father had introduced her to Steven. His boyfriend. Of over three years. She had been shocked to say the least. But now that all of her dad's secrets were out in the open he had invited her to spend the summer with him and Caroline had felt more then pressured to say yes.

Although her Dad wasn't around much Caroline owed him a lot. He was the one who paid her mother child support, as well as her weekly allowance, the car he had bought her on her sixteenth birthday, gas money for that car and above all her college fund. The least she could do in return was spend a few months with him. So instead of spending her summers the way she usually did, lifeguarding at the local community pool and steadily making her way thru her summer reading list, she'd be headed south. Slightly.

She had tried to tell herself it wouldn't be that bad. Spending the summer at the beach was most teenagers dream, and she was still in touch with a few of her old friends from previous summers she had spent there, in fact some of her friends from home had houses there themselves, so she wouldn't be entirely alone. But still, she hadn't spent more than six straight hours with her father in almost four years. Plus she knew next to nothing about her father's boyfriend. Caroline tried to shake the negative thoughts out of her head as she slowed her speed. She was just pulling into the small tourist town that her father now lived in all year around.

She looked around as she drove down the busy street watching as groups of kids emerge from the local ice cream shop, or teenagers milled around the outsides of one of the many surf shops. She hoped that the breeze coming off the ocean would be enough to cool down the insane heat outside her car window. After a few more minutes the store fronts faded into the rows and rows of beach houses. She began to count in her head as soon as the first house came into view. It was a game she had played as a child. She would count every house as she passed them until they finally arrived at their family vacation house. 17, 18, 19 she was watching each house as it passed out the window, 20, 21, 22 and there it was. The twenty third house on the ocean side. She slowed her car and parked outside wondering if she had miscounted. The house looked nothing like she remembered. The peeling and faded blue siding of her memories had been replaced with a bright beige colour. There were vibrant flowers blooming in the once unused and unoccupied flower pots out front, and the weather beaten roof had obviously been redone in a new colour.

She got out of her car and popped her trunk pulling her suitcase and duffel bag out of the car and placing it on the hot pavement. She rolled her bags up the drive and hauled them up the front steps. Once she reached the door she was unsure what to do. Did she knock or just let herself in? This place had once felt like home to her, and now she was just a visitor. Before she could dwell on the decision much longer the choice was made for her. The door flung open and a tall, toned man with blinding white teeth and thick chestnut hair rushed out to embrace her. The scent of sandalwood and what seemed to be cinnamon overwhelmed her as she stood in the awkward hug with his beautiful stranger.

"Caroline! I can't tell you how excited i am that you'll spend the summer with us!" He let go of her and then proceed to place his hands on her shoulders and looked her up and down trying to take her in.

" Your father is no liar. You're quite the beauty." Caroline laughed awkwardly unsure what to say.

"Where are my manners!" The man exclaimed and extended his hand to her to shake.

"I'm Steven which i assume you've figured out. I swear i'm not usually this over excited but i've just been rushing around all day trying to get everything all set up for you." Steven ushered her inside, taking her duffel bag off her shoulders and the handle of her suitcase. He lead her down the hallway and it felt odd to Caroline having to be guided through a place she used to know so well.

"Your dad should be home any minute now." Steven promised as he left her to get settled in.

Caroline had just finished emptying her suitcase into the closet and drawers of her old room when her dad arrived home. She heard him greet Steven before walking over to Caroline's room to greet his daughter.

"Caroline!" He exclaimed wrapping her in a tight hug before letting her go and grinning down at her.

" How was your drive?" He asked his smile too big for his face as she blinded her with his too white teeth. She smiled at him trying to act natural.

"It was good." She started rubbing her arm up and down awkwardly.

" I thought we'd go out to dinner tonight. A little celebration of your arrival." She nodded shooting her had another smile.

So Caroline, her father and Steven piled into her dad's shiny new crossover and headed back down the beach and slightly inland to the country club her parents used to call pretentious but that her father apparently held a membership to now. Despite the fact that the building had been constructed only fifteen years earlier it had been designed to appear as an English castle in complete contrast to the rest of the beachy feel of the town

They were seated in the large dining room which was overrun with people. It's old world Victorian theme didn't suit the rest of the atmosphere. It was a Thursday night and it seemed as if the whole town was out for their family dinners. Caroline tucked into the table neatly and placed her napkin on her lap following the rest of the dinners lead. She flipped through the large menu noting the vast variety of seafood options available to her.

Steven forced conversation between the three of them. Her father, Bill, seemed to have exhausted everything he had to stay to her once he had finished asking her how she had found the drive down from Virginia. Steven and her father had begun to talk enthusiastically about something or other but Caroline had long since stopped listening. She was looking around the dining room at the other families enjoying their dinners. Her eyes fell on a large table straight across the room. There were 8 people crowded around a table.

Two adults were joined by who Caroline assumed to be their children. Five of their kids were nearly grown themselves, all in their late to mid teens, while the last couldn't be more than 12. Five of the couples children were boys including the youngest and their one daughter sat beside her father tapping her fingers on the table, looking painfully bored and tugging on her long blonde hair.

But it wasn't the young boy or the golden haired girl that had truly caught Caroline's attention, it was one of the older boys.

His hair was quite short but despite it's length he could not hide his hint of boyish curls. His mouth seemed to be set in a sort of permeant half grins while his eyes were blue and bright with a devilish glint. There was no doubt that he was attractive, beautiful even, but that wasn't what had caught Caroline's attention.

What had drawn her gaze was that he was looking at her. Not just looking, what he was doing may even have been classified at staring. Even when their eyes met and he knew he had been caught he did not look away ashamed, but cracked a blinding grin. She let out a tentative smile before looking down at her plate again.

The mystery family has long since cleared out by the time Caroline's group had finished their meal. As the family passed Caroline's table on the way to the exit the boy caught Caroline's eye again, smirking at her and nodding ever so slightly.

Once they were back at the beach house Caroline returned to her room grateful for the a joining bathroom. She stripped off the wrinkled clothes she had been traveling in all day and cranked the knobs in the shower which started the water flowing. She climbed in letting the water wash over her and unwind the knots that had formed in her back from driving all day.

Caroline took her time in the shower, wasting as much time as possible until it would be an acceptable point in the night for her to go to sleep.

Yet despite her exhaustion her desperation for sleep was not met the moment she climbed into bed. She laid there for what seemed like hours waiting for the sleep which didn't seem to be on it's way. When she glanced at the alarm clock on her dresser across the room she noted the time. 11:07. Caroline sighed heavily and sat up in bed. Walking as quietly as possible, she exited her room and crept down the hallway towards the living room. She slide open the glass door that faced the water and took in a large gulp of sea air. She walked across the deck and down the few steps to the patio where the pool was situated. She sat down at the far end of the pool, sitting on it's edge and letting her feet and calfs soak in the water. Caroline craned her neck and looked over the old wood fence that separated her father's property and public beach. She watched the water and listened to the waves crash lightly against the shore.

The moon above her was nearly full that night and lit up the beach as if a flashlight was set on the sand.

Caroline fixed her gaze on the moon instead until something broke the silence of the waves around her.

She glanced down the beach and saw a figure jogging towards her. The pounding of the person's feet in the sand wasn't particularly loud but it had alerted her to their impending arrival. As the person, now revealed to be a man, drew closer Caroline felt her heart drop. It was the boy from the club. The same boy who had caught her eye before and dazzled her with his bright smile.

He noticed her a short time after she noticed him and as he jogged past her house and their eyes met once again he raised his hand to her in greeting.

Caroline gave him a small wave, a tad wary and he turned back to the beach in front of him. She watched as he ran away from her but he seemed to be slowing. To her surprise he turned upward only four houses down and unlatched the gate letting himself into the house.

Caroline shook her head to herself.

Hello neighbour.


	2. Bonfire

Chapter 2: Bonfire.

Caroline groaned as she rolled over in bed, flopping onto her back and staring up at the pale white ceiling above her. When she was younger the roof of her room at the beach house had been cluttered with press on glow in the dark stars her mother had bought at a 99 cent store. When ever she couldn't sleep she would count every star on the ceiling above her. But the stars had been pried off the roof years ago and the ceiling and walls had been repainted.

The sun was just coming up outside but Caroline still couldn't bring herself to look at the clock across the room on the dresser. She knew that as soon as she did she would be sealing her fate of not getting back to sleep. She had returned from sitting at the pool the night before and climbed into the soft white sheets on her bed and day dreamed about the boy she had seen.

This was a hobby of Caroline's. She would create and work up a back story of a person in her head, it didn't matter who and imagining every possibility that that person's life could hold. Her thoughts were often far fetched and unrealistic but it didn't matter in the end. The people she passed on the streets could become more than strangers for the time being. In her head they were characters to her story if only for moment.

Caroline finally gave up and looked at the clock. She groaned audibly. 6:45 am. It was summer for christ sake! Wasn't she supposed to be sleeping until noon and taking long naps throughout the day. She slide her feet onto the floor and stood up heading for the small bathroom connected to her room. Her fingers ran across the sea shells that stood on the tiny shelf by the sink as she twisted the knobs to start the shower. She let the water heat up and walked over the sink, staring at herself in the mirror that hung over it. She rubbed her face in her hands and examined her own reflection. Her hair was a mess from air drying poorly and the bags under her eye's from her near sleepless night made it seem as if she had just rolled out of the grave rather than bed. The steam was rising from the shower now causing the mirror before her to fog and the light blue walls of the water room to collect tiny beads of water.

She relished standing under the scalding hot water, knowing that in only a few hours the sun would be high in the sky and she wouldn't be able to step outside without breaking a sweat. By the time she had toweled off her hair and body, gotten dressed and brushed her teeth it was well past seven. Caroline had heard her father and Steven leaving for work fifteen minutes earlier. It was odd to her that she'd be spending so much time alone in this house. When she had come there in the past it had always been with large amounts of family. Her parents and a revolving door of family friends, aunts, uncles, and cousins, but now she was practically living alone.

…

The sun was full in the sky while Caroline sat on one of the loungers by the pool. She had spent the morning putting about the house, making breakfast and going through the books on the shelf in the living room.

Now she was content to sit out by pool all day, read her book, drink buckets of iced tea, and melt in the sun. She was halfway through her book when she began to doze off.

"Rise and shine." Someone shouted as the book that had been covering her face was snatched off. Caroline squinted through the sun and saw three tall slim figures standing over her.

Bonnie Bennett, and Elena and Katherine Gilbert. She sat up and rushed to embrace her friends.

It had only been a few weeks since she had seen the Gilbert twins due to the fact that they lived in Mystic falls as well, but it had been over a year since she'd seen bonnie who summered at the beach but lived in DC.

They caught up while drinking the massive pitcher of iced tea Caroline had brewed before.

"So you're coming tonight right?" Katherine pushed, scooping a large amount of salsa onto a tortilla chip and shoving it into her mouth.

" Coming to what?" Caroline asked confused.

"There's a Bonfire tonight, out by the sand bar. Tyler lockwoods uncle always buys a ton of beer so you don't even have to bring your own booze. It's a win win." Katherine clarified.

" It doesn't really get good until after 10 so we can come and pick you up then." Elena offered leaning back in her chair and soaking up the sun.

Just then there was a light splash in the pool. The girl's head snapped up and saw that a bright green frisbee had landed in the water in front of them. Caroline stood up and stooped to grab the disk.

"Sorry about that" Caroline stood up quickly at the sound of the surprisingly accented voice.

The boy from the night before was standing at her fence, clearly having offer thrown the frisbee. Standing farther down the beach was another boy from the same table, presumably his brother, waiting impatiently.

Caroline tossed the frisbee back to him.

"Thanks" He said shooting her a smile.

"Anytime." Caroline turned back to face her friend to see them all smirking at her.

"What?" She asked as she plopped back down beside Elena.

"Nothing." Bonnie said innocently, exchanging knowing looks with her other two friends.

… _._

It was approaching 10 o'clock that night and Bill and Steven had long since gone to bed. Caroline stared at her reflection in the full length mirror in her dimly lit bedroom. She was wearing the same frayed cut off shorts and faded tank top as that afternoon, in fact she hadn't even bothered to take off her bathing suit. She moved closer to the mirror stroking the side of her cheek thoughtfully, hoping the redness there was a trick of the light and not a sunburn blooming.

Caroline jumped when the silence of her room was broken by the loud bleep of a car horn. She grabbed her sweater from where it hung on the post of her bed and hurried over to her window. She slide the glass pane up and hoisted herself up onto the sil. In theory Caroline could just walk out the front door, she didn't really think that her dad would care about her going out with her friends, but she'd rather skip the whole conversation all together. Besides it was much more fun this way. It was a short drop from her window to the ground and Caroline's feet landed lightly on the sandy grass. She dashed by the side of the house and around to the front where a slate grey chevrolet convertible was idling in front of her house, music blaring from its speakers. As she approached the car the door flung open and she slide into the crowded back seat.

As soon as she was mostly in the car Katherine, who was driving, pressed her foot hard to the gas pedal and they shot off into the night, throwing the car's occupants backwards hard against the seat. In the front seat Elena twisted the knob on the stereo down and twisted in her seat to look back at Caroline shooting her a blinding smile. At that moment they took a sharp turn causing everyone to tilt left.

"Jesus Kat! Ease up on the fast and furious" Jeremy exclaimed rubbing his shoulder that had just smashed against the side of the car. Katherine rolled her eye's and shot a glare over her shoulder at her little brother who was squished in the middle of the back seat between Caroline and Bonnie.

"Can it kid. You're only here so you can DD home." Kat snapped back at him. Jeremy huffed sitting back in his seat and crossing his arms.

"So" Bonnie began as both she and Caroline leaned forward so they could hear each other and Katherine and Elena over the wind.

"Which Salvatore brother are you going after this year Kat?" Katherine rolled her eye's again. Katherine had been running back and forth between the two boys her whole life trying to decide which one to go after but never making up her mind enough to actually go after one.

"Catch up Bon!" Katherine stated reaching over to shove her sister's arm.

"Damon seems to be off the market now thanks to the less attractive version of me." Kat joked. Elena scoffed at her.

"Please! We're not dating, were just.."

"What? Having sex?" Bonnie asked a smirk on her face.

"No! We're just talking!" Elena defending herself. Katherine rolled her eye's yet again.

"Please he goes to Witmore now, and i swear to god every single weekend he drives back to town and you climb into that Chevy Camaro and i don't see you for the rest of the day." Kat trumped. Elena opened her mouth to answer and then closed it knowing there was no way to win this conversation.

…

They pulled up to the far end of the town's beach where clusters of teenagers were gathered around a pile of burning pallets that someone had stolen from the back alleys of the local shops. Katherine took a wide swing and parked the car by the others that were gathered there. They all piled out of the car and Kat tossed the keys to her younger brother.

"If you scratch my car, i will rip your throat out." Katherine said sweetly and slapping her brothers face lightly strutting away towards the fire.

Elena, Bonnie, and Caroline set off after her, walking down the small sandy hill to the beach. The air around them had a slight chill in it, but as they approached the fire the heat radiated to their bodies. Someone was playing music out of their truck speakers that they had driven down onto the sand, and Caroline thought it was a good thing that there were no houses nearby to make a noise complaint.

"I'm gonna go find a drink." Bonnie stated, patting her friends on the shoulders and sauntering off towards one of the several coolers positioned around the fire.

Around twenty minutes later Elena and Caroline had found their own drinks and had migrated around the party. People had been steadily trickling onto the beach until the party had grown to nearly double it's original size. Looking around Caroline was amazed, it hadn't felt like there were that many children around the beach when she was growing up, but suddenly there seemed to be an abundant amount of other teenagers.

Just as Caroline looked up she saw another group of teenagers descending down the small sandy hill down to the beach. Her jaw went slack and she spun around to face Elena.

"Oh my god." Caroline whispered. Elena looked into her friends face, confused.'

"What?" Elena asked, bringing girl beer to her lips.

"He's here." Caroline clarified.

"Who's he?" Elena asked again.

"That guy from earlier today. The who lives down the guy i've been seeing everywhere!" Elena rolled her eyes.

" I don't think seeing someone twice in one night counts as seeing them everywhere." Elena joked.

"Oh shut up." Caroline snapped rolling her eyes at her friends.

"Well" Elena began, "You're about to see him one more time because he's walking over here." Caroline jaw dropped again.

"What?" Elena smirked at her friend.

"Yeah he's headed right this way." Caroline swallowed the lump in her throat, suddenly nervous.

"What do i do?" Elena rolled her eyes at her friend, and pointed at the bottle in Caroline's hands.

"Well finish that and i'm going to go over here." She stated pointing her thumb over her shoulder and backing up slowly.

"Elena get back-" She stopped speaking when she heard voice speak behind her.

"Hello." Caroline spun around slowly and smiled up at the boy awkwardly.

"Hi." The boy grinned down at her and extended his hand to her.

"We've never been introduced. I'm Nik, or Klaus, whichever really." Her awkward smile turned genuine as she took his hand and shook it lightly.

" Caroline."


	3. Ride Along

Chapter 3: Ride Along

The fire roared in the background as teenagers stumbled in the soft sand of the beach. It was overcast that night, but through the patches of clouds clusters of bright and vibrant stars could be seen. The party goers were as loud as ever, shouting over the sound of the music blaring out the car speakers, crushing cans under their feet and kicking them to the side. People's faces were illuminated by the dancing flames of the fire in front of them. Caroline's friends had spread out throughout the party. Katherine was standing on the hood of the truck playing the music, joined by another girl that Caroline didn't recognize. They were swaying their hips off time to the beat , there arms in the air, sloshing their half drunk beers everywhere, not caring about the dent they were surely leaving on the car. Elena was sitting on one of the many makeshift log benches in front of the fire, Damon Salvatore's arm wrapped around her waist, whispering into her ear. And Bonnie? Hell Caroline hadn't seen her since she first left to get a drink when they arrived. But Caroline wasn't worrying about her friends at that moment.

She was down by the water's edge. So close that if the tide rose anymore her toes would be licked by the salt water. She was looking out over the ocean, watching as the waves crash against the shore. But she wasn't alone. Klaus Mikaelson was by her side, sitting close enough that their arms were brushing together. After he had introduced himself to her earlier that evening they had walked around the fire, and talking comfortable about themselves.

"Are you from around here?" He asked, as they plopped themselves down in the sand.

"Uh no. My father has a house here, but i live up in Virginia with Mom." Caroline stated. Klaus nodded and laughed slightly.

"Of course. Because being Caroline from the Carolinas would just be too sickeningly adorable." He said blatantly, making her blush.

"What about you? Judging by your accent you're not exactly a southern boy." He laughed again at her words.

"No not quite. I grew up in London and moved to Upstate New York when i was maybe thirteen." Caroline's eyes narrowed as he spoke.

" This is a long way to come to beach. How did your parents end up picking this place?" She asked. Klaus grinned.

" They wanted somewhere small. to keep my siblings and i out of trouble. They're only spending a few weekends here themselves, they have business to attend to back in the city." Caroline nodded and then laughed, looking over her shoulder at the raging party behind them. At Katherine and other drunk girls dancing in the bed of a pickup truck, people tossing cans of beer back and forth, and couples sneaking off into the tall grass to do god knows what.

" I guess trouble can find you anywhere." She joked. She glanced over at him, suddenly very aware that he was looking at her, and was it her imagination or was he moving closer? Like he was moving in. Like he was going to kis-

Caroline's thoughts were cut off when she heard her name called loudly from behind her. Both she and Nik whipped their heads around and saw Elena drunkenly stumbling towards them

"We have a problem!" Elena stated collapsing down on her knees in the sand by Caroline and Klaus, slightly out of breath.

"Actually we kind of have two problems, Kath-" And then the brown haired girl lost her train of thought noticing Klaus sitting beside her friend. She smiled stupidly at him and scrunched up her nose.

" Hi. I'm Elena. You have really nice hair. Did you know that?" She reached out as he was was going to run her fingers through it but Caroline caught her friend's wrist and held it.

"Len. Focus. What's up?" Caroline asked and Elena huffed out a heavy breath.

"Katherine is drunk. I mean so am i, but she's really really drunk. Like hold your hair back sick. She needs to leave. That's problem one. But i can't solve problem one, because the solution to problem one is high." Elena spurted out slurring her words slightly and looking very disheveled. Caroline was more confused than ever.

"What do you-" But Elena cut her off.

" Jermey. My baby brother who i swear to god was 12 fifteen minutes ago, Jermey our DD our ride home is high. Really high. He is high in the way that Katherine is drunk. Which is to say way too high."

Caroline's face fell. That was a problem. They could walk home, but it was miles back to her father's house, and although the gilbert's house wasn't much further down the beach if Katherine was as drunk as Elena said she'd be in no shape to walk. Klaus cleared his throat and leaned forward to look at Elena.

"I can drive you home. My sisters car is here." He offered. Looking between Caroline and her friend. Elena smiled sweetly at him.

"That is so nice. You are nice." Elena paused for a second thinking.

"But who are you?" Klaus laughed and extended his hand to her.

"Nik." Elena shook his hand and then her face fell again.

"Haven't you been drinking too?" Elena asked looking down at the empty beer bottle in Klaus's hand.

"I've had one beer over the course of the past three hours. I think it'll be okay." Elena nodded looking between Klaus and Caroline.

"But what about the car? I didn't tell my parents we'd be drinking. What am i going to tell them when they wake up in the morning and Kat's car isn't in the driveway." Elena asked still looking worried. Nik thought for a moment and then responded.

"I can drive you in your car and then i'll just walk back or call my brother or something." Caroline jumped in next.

" You guys only live a few blocks away. If we drop the car there then ," She looked at Nik.

"I can walk back with you and then drive home. I mean since you only live a few houses down." Nik beamed at her, and then stood, first helping Caroline and then Elena to their feet.

Elena ran back into the party, shouting for Bonnie, while Caroline and Klaus walked over to where Katherine sat slumped against a log, her brother by her side.

With Klaus's help Caroline wrestled her friends into the back of Katherines convertible. Elena came stumbling up then supporting Bonnie who was slurring her words but talking exuberantly.

" I mean i really had no idea who he was. I just met him when i went to get another drink. I don't even remember his name, but god i will tell you this, he is a good kisser." Bonnie stated, as she dove into the back seat. Elena followed her into the back, forcing Bonnie to move onto Jeremy's lap.

"Don't get any big ideas perv." Bonnie stated, elbowing jermey in the ribs to prove her point.

They drove home in almost silence, besides Katherine's groans from the back seat. It was a quick drive to the Gilberts beach house, barely five minutes. Bonnie who was staying at the Gilberts for the night rather then going home drunk, climbed out of the car with the rest of them. Klaus handed the car keys to Elena, who was giddy but clearly the most sober out of her siblings. Klaus and Caroline watched as her friends stumbled into the house, trying to make as little noise as possible.

Caroline turned to Nik exceptionally embarrassed.

"I am so sorry." Caroline said, covering her face with her hand. Klaus laughed as he looked up at the quiet Gilbert house.

"That was amusing to say the least." He said turning to walk down the sidewalk. The night air was warm as they walked back to the far end of the beach. They walked down the sidewalk side by side, talking and laughing about nothing. At one point Caroline lossed her balance and almost went sprawling down onto the sidewalk, but Nik had caught her arm, steadying her.

" I am apparently much drunker than i thought." Caroline joked, laughing at herself. It wasn't long before they reached the stretch of beach where the party was being held.

"Do you want to go back down there or are you ready to head home?" Klaus asked looking down at the party that still raged below and then back at Caroline.

"I'm good to go if you are." She stated, turned her back on the party and looking towards the lines of parked cars.

"Right this way." Klaus said steering her away from the beach and towards the dusty lot. They weaved between the cars until they came to a stop in front of a gleaming black vintage motorcycle. Caroline stopped dead.

" I thought you said you had a car." Klaus smirked at her and slung his leg over the bike.

"My sisters car is here, but knowing Rebekah it'll be a while yet till she's ready to go." Caroline took a breath thinking about how angry her father would be if he saw her on the back of a " Donor cycle.". But what the hell. She moved forward and climbed onto the back of the bike and wrapped her arms around Niks middle feeling the heat of his skin through his shirt and shivering slightly. They sped through the tiny small town. The roads were quiet in stark contrast to how busy the streets usually were during the day. Klaus cut the engine as soon as they came to a stop in front of Caroline's house. They both climbed off the bike and Caroline was unsure what to say next, until she glanced up at the sky.

The clouds from earlier had cleared revealing the massive moon above them and the millions of stars. Without thinking, Caroline grabbed Nik's hand and took off running, dragging Klaus behind her. She lead him around the side of the house and back onto the sand they had left only a few minutes ago far down the beach.

They came to a halt and looked up at the sky and the moon above them. The light that the moon let off made the beach almost as bright as it would have been in the day.

"Beautiful" Klaus whispered. Caroline looked over at him, and saw that he wasn't looking up at the sky, but back at her, and she was suddenly very aware that their hands were still clasped. In the moment she had never felt more sober. Klaus brought his other hand up to cup the side of her face and before Caroline could process another thought his lips were against hers. They stood there for who knows how long,locked in the single moment of the second their lips touched. Standing under the spotlight of a full moon.


	4. Early Mornings

Chapter 4: Early Mornings

"Please speak softer." Katherine groaned, shielding her face from the sun by slinging her arm over her face. It was the morning after the bonfire and caroline and her friends were lying on the lounge chairs by the house pool, taking in the early morning sun and trying not to heave up the little breakfast they had managed to get down.

Caroline hadn't made it to bed until nearly two am, and she had planned on staying in bed until early afternoon, but was in for a rude awakening. She had heard her father and Steven leaving for work, but had managed to get back to sleep without much trouble. What she hadn't expected was her friends bursting through the door of her bedroom less than half an hour later, collapsing down onto her bed and groaning audibly. Caroline had tried to sit up but immediately fell back onto her pillow, her head pounding.

"What are you doing here?" Caroline groaned, trying to pull her covers over her head but failing due to the weight of her friends on her bedding.

" Gilbert house isn't safe." Bonnie grumbled, her face in her hands.

" Miranda is on to us." Katherine stated, referring to her mother by her first name.

"How did you get in here?" Caroline asked, actually succeeding in sitting up that time and rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

" The front door was open." Katherine stated as if it was the most obviously thing in the world.

… _.._

So there they sat, back the pool, nursing gatorade and hiding behind oversized and dark tinted sunglasses.

They told Katherine tales of her esplanades the night before, watching her cringe as they explained every detail of her dancing on trucks and throwing up all over Seth Bilson's shoes. Bonnie had laughed her head off at her friend's embarrassment until the tables were turned on her. Bonnie hide her head in her hands in shame as her friends laughed and joked about the mystery boy she had been rolling around the tall grass with.

" It wasn't that bad Bon." Katherine reassured her friend, leaning back in her lounge chair and smirking.

" At least when Elena caught you you had your pants on. She's found me in far worse conditions." Kat joked, watching as both bonnie and her sisters faces turned bright red. Pleased with her friends reactions Katherine continued on,

" And from what i saw last night, my little sister and the darling salvatore boy were mere minutes from tromping around in the grass themselves." Elena rolled her eyes at her sister and pulled her hat down over her face.

"Still claiming to be just friends?" Katherine pressed, her eye's still boring into her sister's face.

"Because overall, none of my friends make it a habit of shoving their tongues down my throat but maybe that's just me." Elena sat up and snatched the hat off her head.

" That is still none of your business!" Elena stated, glaring at her sister and laying down on her lounge chair with a huff. Katherine rolled her eyes, smiling devilishly, as if teasing her friends was a good cure for her hangover.

"What i really want to know about" Katherine pressed, reaching for her iced tea glass and pressing her sunglasses further up her nose.

"Is about our mystery chauffeur from last night, and just how darling Caroline made it home." Kat finished, the smirk still planted firmly on her face.

Caroline felt her ears and neck begin to flame bright red, and she attempted to take a few deep breaths to calm down her nerves and maintain her cool.

She wasn't sure what she wanted to tell her friends about what had happened last night on the beach. It wasn't as if i was some big scandalous secret. She hadn't torn off her clothes and done it right there in the had kissed. Just kissed, although the kiss had been anything just. It was kind of perfect. The kind of kiss that left her lips tingling for hours afterward.

But still she didn't want to talk about it yet. She didn't want to sit and listen while her friends analyzed every little detail of the whole encounter, or field their endless questions. Right now, she wanted to keep it to herself. Preserve the moment for just a little while longer.

"There's really nothing to tell." Caroline said, although she knew the slight smile on her face and the redness that spread across her cheeks gave away the truth. Her friends all sat up and stared at her, their eyes narrowed and cunning, giving her a look as if to say " come on, Care".

"Really! After we left your house we just walked back to the beach, drove home, and said good night. That's it." Caroline stated, hoping her friends would leave it at that but knowing that that wasn't possible. Katherine leaned forward, the exasperation she felt clearly displayed across her tired face as she spoke.

"Caroline can we just cut out the whole dance around the subject thing. Because i swear to god soon this is going to turn into a sing along of summer lovin from grease and if i have to sit here and sway back and forth saying "tell me more, tell me more" i will vomit, and not from last night's tequila."

Caroline and Elena snorted into their drinks while Bonnie began to hum along to the musical number Katherine had mentioned.

"Well you better get singing. Because whether or not i have anything to share, my lips are sealed." Caroline promised, leaning back in her chair and soaking in the hot sun that beamed down on them.

Her friends groaned and grumbled as they settled back into their seats, and the subject was just about to be dropped when from down the beach and tall shocking blonde girl came stalking towards them, a determined and slightly annoyed look spread across her stunning face. She seemed familiar to Caroline, and it took her a moment to place her face, before realizing that she had seen her at the country club a few nights before, meaning that this was Niks sister. The girl's eyes followed her as she confidently strode up the forbes beach house and pulled open the pool gate without being invited in. She strode over to the group of girls and stopped in front of Caroline's lounge chair.

" My brother has spent the whole morning sitting at the kitchen island rambling on about you, yet he's been reluctant to come over here and speak with you himself so here-" the girl handed caroline a scrap of paper with a phone number scrawled across it.

" That is his number now you-" she pulled a pen from behind her year and a post it note from her pocket and shoved them towards Caroline.

"Write down yours." Somewhat warily Caroline took the pen and paper from the girl's hand and quickly copied down her cell number. She handed it back to Niks sister who took it and gave her a tight smile.

"Perfect. You can expect his call whenever he grows the balls to make it." The girl turned to leave, but came to a stop in front of Bonnie's chair in turn.

" also i think this is yours." She stated, pulling a flimsy light pink lace bra from the back pocket of her jean cut offs and handing them to Bonnie.

" It was in my other brothers possession this morning. I had planned to pass it off to Caroline to return to you but since you're here."

Bonnie was staring at the bra in the stranger's hand dumbfounded. The girl, Rebekah, rolled her eyes at Bonnie and tossed the bra down into her lap and walked away.

Katherine was smiling so widely that the muscles in her face must have been aching. Kats whipped her head back and forth, looking between Caroline, Bonnie, and Rebekahs retreating from, her brain unable to process so much new information at one time. Elena slumped down on her lounge chair and began to sing under her breath

"Tell me more, tell me more, like does he have a car."


End file.
